As Elia in 1826, Charles Lamb wrote of sixteen popular fallacies. One is that we must not look a gift horse in the mouth. That could mean we should consider the source, the motive and the horse itself when it's a gift. The Trojans didn't, to their horror.
So, when we read, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8 KJV), we really should look carefully to see if there is a fallacy here, too.
Grace isn't just the ability to walk smoothly with a book on one's head. Grace also means the free and undeserved favor of God. It is freely available to those who believe in Him through faith. Why should it be available to those who do not?
Some look upon Ephesians 2:8 as "easy salvation," expecting much more to earn God's grace, forgetting Ephesians 2:9: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9 KJV)
Paul wrote: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30-31 KJV) because he had been saved just like that. Changed from one who hated Jesus and His followers to being the most outspoken of His followers. That change did not come easily. It cost him his life
Some of His creatures know Him, but do not have faith in Him: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19 KJV) I think they also understand this verse: For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:30-31 KJV)
The gift is salvation. The grace is God’s. The result is a changed life. The motive? Love.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:15-16 KJV)
For those of us who have this gift, we came to know: We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)
Thus we’ve looked at the source (God), the motive (love) and the gift itself (eternal life with God) and we must come to our own conclusions whether or not to accept. Do we have the faith?
Oh, yes – He’s told us how to do that, too: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)
Amen, it certainly the best give a way I ever won, thank you Jesus, greatest gift known unto man, yet some still reject him, they rather believe a lie than the truth. Good post thanks for always reminding me of such a great salvation in him.
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